


The Secrets We Keep

by Sixty_feet_under



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, Inspired by American Gothic, M/M, Multi, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-25 08:21:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7525339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sixty_feet_under/pseuds/Sixty_feet_under
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Inspired by American Gothic, but fret not because you don't have to watch American Gothic to get this story!) When Harry Potter and his fiancé Cho Chang return to Harry's main house growing up to reconnect with old family members and help his sister Hermione in running for Mayor of the town, a string of bodies start to pile up, accidents happen, and a murderer the town had thought was long gone may resurface once again, along with secrets many members of the family had thought were well buried.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home Sweet Home

**Author's Note:**

> 'Lo all, welcome to my first (official) HP Fanfiction. Now, as you all know by now, this fanfic was inspired by the TV series American Gothic, which you don't have to watch to read and understand this fanfic but you should if you can because it truly is a great series. All the relationship tags may confuse you but fear not this story will mainly be Harry/Tom, just you wait and see! Enjoy all the (hopeful) suspense and mystery. And remember to keep your eyes peeled; things aren't always what they may seem. ;)

Cruising down the long, perfectly straight and only a bit highly busy highway on one of Boston's finest in his relatively new Prius drive with his (now official) fiancé of four months, Cho Chang, in the passenger seat, Harry Potter rolled his driver's side window down even further, letting the wind flutter noisily into the car and through his ears, ruffling his hair slightly and making Cho's significantly longer hair fly about in the wind, which she instantly tried to put a stop to by tucking the astray strands behind her ears with her pale, slender fingers. Her brand spanking new engagement ring glinted on her left hand's ring finger, the silver band reflecting the early afternoon's sunlight perfectly and the decently sized diamond resting comfortably on the little appendage as if it belonged there. And Harry supposed it did, really. 

You see, Harry had never been much into the ladies. Don't ask him why, maybe it was the gut-wrenching nervousness that clenched at his stomach and throat whenever he'd walked up and approached them, the same immobilizing and painfully awkward awkwardness that had struck him dumb since around the start of junior high school. Then there was also the fact that until his last few years of highschool, girls had only ever seemed to really find Harry interesting because of his money, or rather, his family's money. 

Harry came from a fairly wealthy family, most of them born and bred right there in Boston. The Potter name was a very old, very well known name in these parts and had been for quite some time now. Word has it they were part of the original founding families or something or other along those lines. Harry had never really paid much attention. Harry never really was a big fan of money, to be quite honest. Yes, money was and still is a necessity and yes it is very useful but he himself never really liked the whole idea of it. Nor did he like the whole idea that those who had less money than others were to be looked down upon and sniffed at. 

Now, don't get him wrong, his family never did that. Not really, at least. Yes, he did have a few great aunts and uncles who held true to the olden way of thinking, that the wealthy were the best around town and that the poorer or less fortunate were to be looked down upon on principle, but most of those aunts and uncles were either dead, currently located nesting in a nursing home, or just not here anymore, thankfully. 

The Potter family consisted of, immediately, Harry's own mother; Minerva Potter, who married one Albus Dumbledore who then became Albus Potter and then became father to Harry and the rest of his siblings. (Albus had come from a fairly wealthy background himself, but he had been noticeably less wealthy than Minerva at the time of their engagement, thus causing a rather scandelous marriage for both their families at the time. The old windbags in nursing homes around their hometown still get riled up about it too if you ask them about it.) His siblings were Hermione Potter (always so smart, always so proper and downright charming, is it any wonder that she's now running for new mayor of the town?), Seamus Potter (who was, regretfully, an ex-junkie. And not a pot-head ex junkie, no not at all. A hard core ex-junkie. It had been quite the scandel for the whole family but, luckily and thankfully, Seamus had managed to clean up his act for his son and was now almost a year clean.), and Pansy Potter, the youngest Potter sibling, even younger than Harry himself, and who apparently (if he had read the email he had received from her two nights ago at 3 am before he and Cho had set out correctly) had recently gotten engaged herself, and that apparently Harry wasn't the only one who would soon have to be breaking romantic news to the family. 

That made him feel better but not significantly so. You see Harry had sort of run off, you could call it, once he had turned 18. He'd moved out to London where he went to a community college, as not only an act of rebellion against his family but as an act to please who he himself was at heart ( a simple guy), and there he had met her. His fiancé. Cho Chang. She was an art history major and a complete knockout. Long ebony hair fell in slight waves past her shoulders, down her back, and resting just above her waist in thick locks. Glittering dark brown, almost black, eyes shaped almost like a cat's. A cute little button nose. Blemish free porcelain like skin, an award winning smile and most importantly; a personality. A brain. A passion. That had been so much more than Harry had ever been able to find with most of the girls in Boston, or at least with the upper class girls in Boston his family had allowed him to socialize with. She'd kept him on his toes. She was shy and small, quiet at first. But as you got to know her she blossomed like a flower, each petal opening and falling over to reveal another layer to her personality. She was polite and charming and down to earth and oh so sassy. She was...well, she was perfect. Harry could only hope that his family would agree.

"Harry? Harry!" 

Said perfect fiancé's soft voice broke through his train of thought, causing him to blink a few times before looking away from the road and at Cho, who was leaning comfortably back against the seat of her passanger's chair, big black sunglasses placed perfectly at the top of her head atop all the ebony hair, almost blending in. She had a single slim eyebrow raised at him. 

"Sorry love, what was that?" Harry asked sheepishly. Cho rolled her eyes, but a small beginning of a smile was starting to pull at the corners of her pink lips. 

"I've been calling your name on and off for the past two minutes."

"Have you?" Harry asked, surprised. When his fiancé only raised her eyebrow up further slightly he shook his head. "Oh, sorry, I guess I didn't hear you."

Cho let out a short but genuine little laugh. "Yeah, I figured that." Her face softened completely, warming and brightening instantly in the way Harry was so familiar with but still never failed to make him instantly feel at ease. 

"Were you thinking of your family again?" Cho asked him softly, but there was a knowing tone in her voice, the one she always got after courses when she'd asked Harry how much he had scored even though she already seemed to know. Then again she probably did, seeing as how she'd been his go to tutor even before they'd started a romantic relationship. And she was quite good. 

Harry smiled sheepishly at her. "Maybe." 

Cho pressed her lips together and nodded. "Mhmm. I knew it." She looked over at him again and slouched in her seat slightly, her hands falling to loosely clasp each other in her lap. She cast him a compassionate look. "Sweety, they're gonna know sooner or later."

Harry nodded tightly, his eyes determinedly glued onto the road in front of him, his hands gripping the steering wheel slightly harder than they should have been. "Yeah, but I'd have no complaints if they found out on the later side."

He heard Cho sigh softly behind him and, realizing how harsh that may have sounded (especially to Cho, who was a fairly sensitive soul), he turned to look at her and smiled softly at her, taking his right hand off of the steering wheel to take her smaller hand in his, his thumb rubbing small, soothing circled on the top of her hand. Her skin was smooth, as always. 

"Hey," he said and Cho looked over at him again, her eyes wide and deep and searching in the way that always reminded Harry of an adorable puppy's. "We're telling them, okay? And while I may not be the most excited to, I didn't come all the way out here and prepare what I was going to say to all of them to chicken out at the last minute. Alright?"

Cho nodded, a small yet infinitely warm smile gracing her face, making her eyes crinkle at the corners adorably, and she seemed to relax more, her hand holding his more firmly in his touch than it had been a few seconds ago. "Alright." 

Harry nodded, smiling back at her. "Alright then."

Cho let out a small, relieved puff of breath and leaned fully back into her seat, her shoulders lowering slightly as the remaining tension left her body. Harry turned to fully face the road again, still choosing to steer with just his left hand at the moment as his right hand was still comfortably holding Cho's and he didn't want to let go just yet. They were currently approaching a tunnel. One of the few on the way to Harry's house. Harry hated driving under tunnels. He didn't know why, but they always made him feel...trapped, paranoid. He just was not a fan.

They were halfway through said tunnel when Cho decided to speak again.

"And hey, at least you won't be the only one breaking engagement news. Pansy is too, remember?"

Harry nodded, relaxing in his seat. "Yeah, I remember."

"I wonder who the mystery man is." Cho's voice had brightened, a hint of playfulness and intrigue coloring it. Harry snorted.

"You're not the only one. I'm pretty sure Hermione's going to wring Pansy's neck for not telling her right away."

Cho laughed and Harry swore it sounded like bells. "That is so Hermione. Always has to know everything, doesn't she?" 

"You're telling me."

Cho hummed, shifting in her seat slightly to adjust her black pencil skirt. "Oh, I'm so excited to see them both. I've heard so many interesting stories about them." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Cho look over at him pointedly. Oh yeah, Cho had heard plenty of interesting stories about them both. Like the time Hermione actually used to sneak out of the house back in her freshman year of highschool to meet with the foreign exchange student and starving artist type, Viktor Krum. Before their mum found out and holy hell rained down upon them all. Or the time Pansy used to be a pot head, starving artist type herself during her own junior year of highschool due to the influence of her ex boyfriend and best friend Gregory Goyle. Yeah, lots of fun stories. 

Harry snorted. "You'll meet them soon enough. Fair bit of warning though; they're not nearly as interesting in person. They're actually a bit boring, really."

Cho huffed, brushing a stray piece of ebony hair out of her face as she did so. "Oh please, like I'm actually going to buy that. I don't think so. They're related to you. Anyone related to you is going to be far from boring."

Harry looked over at Cho and smiled at her. She smiled back. He shook his head and fixed his eyes on the road again.

"Whatever you say, love. Just don't be too disappointed when I say I told you so."

He could practically feel Cho rolling her eyes at him from here. "I'll try."

They zoomed out of the tunnel, and Harry rolled the windows down the rest of the way. Cho rolled the passanger's side window down all the way as well, and, using a hair tie that had been wrapped around her slender wrist, secured her long ebony locks in a messy low ponytail before plucking her sunglasses off the top of her head and nearly slipping them onto her face. 

Behind them, back in the tunnel, half the cement top half of the tunnel shook noisily, making the sides of the tunnel vibrate and quiver slightly before collapsing all together and falling atop one of the more unfortunate car's hoods. A purple Honda behind said unfortunate car swerved tightly, narrowly missing the now stopped and smashed car ahead of it only to jerk too much to the right in order to get itself back on track of the road and sending the car flying bumper first into the cement side of the tunnel. Bright yellow lights flared, car alarms blared, horns honked and drivers and passanger's alike shrieked and screamed as everyone tried to avoid the chaos unfolding around them.

Back in the car, Cho stilled in her seat halfway through fiddling with the car's radio, her nose scrunched slightly as all her movement steered. Harry cast curious glances her way in between monitoring the road ahead of them.

"Love? Are you okay?" He finally asked her once she'd withdrawn her hand entirely from the radio's nozzle and leaned back in her seat. She lowered her sunglasses so they were resting near the tip of her little nose, her dark brown eyes peering up over the black rims of the glasses as she cast flickering glances in rearview mirror. 

"Did you hear that?" She asked softly, her body still still and taut in her seat as she checked the side view passanger's mirror, looking behind them.

Harry threw her a curious glance, eyebrow raised. "Hear what?"

Cho paused, her eyes staring intently, searchingly, into the side view mirror before she shook her head, moving in her seat to full face the front again and then shaking her head some more. "I... I don't know. I just thought I heard something."

Harry looked into his own rearview mirror but all he could see was the now disappearing opposite end of the tunnel they had just driven out of a few moments ago. Leaning back to face the front in his seat fully again Harry cracked a small smile. "Maybe you caught your first earful of the infamous Boston road rage, then?"

Cho's pink lips were pouted, eyes narrowed slightly, body still slightly tense. "Yeah, maybe..."

Turning to smile at her, Harry said "Well, get used to it, love. You're gonna be hearing it a lot while we're here no doubt."

The use of Harry's favorite sweet nickname for her seemed to relax Cho a bit at last, her shoulders sagging, arms untensing, allowing her to lean back in her seat slightly and to cross one long leg over the other. "Oh, lucky me." Cho said, a playful edge entering her voice as she looked over at Harry, her dark eyes glinting in the light prettily. Harry's smile widened, exposing teeth now.

"Lucky you indeed."

"Speaking of lucky me," the playful edge in Cho's voice was quite plain and almost dangerous now, "do you fancy trying for a quicky in the mansion when we arrive?"

Harry almost choked on his own saliva, neck heating up slightly and eyes widening as he looked over at his fiancé who smiled sweetly at him as if she had done nothing to cause his current state of shock. Minx.

"No, no, I'm sorry love, but no. That is a terrible idea."

Cho sagged in her seat, turning big dark puppy dog eyes on him as she stuck her bottom pink lip out in a little pout. "Oh, come on Harry. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"It's still here, but my sense of adventure is also sensing possible danger nearby so it's gone into temporary hibernation. Try again later."

Cho's pout furthered and she kicked her right leg out to scuff at the carpeted floor of the Prius lightly. "Well, you're no fun. I'm filing for divorce."

Harry chuckled. "Love, we aren't even married yet."

Cho shook her head, smiling softly. "Doesn't matter, I'm still divorcing you."

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head, turning on their clicker so they could now turn onto the road that would then lead them into the road that Harry's family mansion resided on. "Sure you are, love."


	2. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the family, and the mystery.

Back in the car, Harry and Cho had somehow gotten to talking about Hermione and her aim to run for mayor, or rather, her and their interview for when she runs for mayor.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, love?" Harry asked Cho, concerned. Cho nodded, all relaxed and unconcerned despite the fact Harry knew her brain was probably racing a mile a minute at this point.

"Yeah, yeah babe, totally. Say, what is a pre-interview anyway?"

Harry let out a short bark of laughter. "I think it's just Hermione's P.R. people reminding us not to say anything idiotic."

Cho didn't seem all too impressed. "Hm. Right. But they're not actually going to..." Cho trailed off, fidgeting with her shirt slightly, "you know, interview me? Right?"

Harry instantly shook his head, despite not really knowing for sure, in the hopes of putting his fiancé's mind at ease. "I don't think so, love. No."

Cho instantly relaxed, leaning back in her seat and resting her left arm on the car's soft little armrest. "Alright. In that case, I am beyond sure I'm ready for this." She flashed Harry a blinding grin and Harry smiled back.

"Good. You'll be in the family photo though, no doubt. So your fake smile game had better be on point."

Cho hummed, nodding along before straightening up in her seat, looking over at Harry and instantly flashing a very obviously forced uncomfortable, shy half-smile that looked like a semi-pained cringe. Harry immediately furrowed his brow before bursting out laughing.

"Oh, oh ho ho. Nice, love, very nice."

Cho giggled, flashing her normal, bright, beautiful smile now and relaxing back in her seat again. "Yeah, you like that? Was I good?"

"You, my dear, are wildly insincere." Harry said, still chuckling. Cho shook her head, smirking more Han anything at him now.

"Oh, I know."

"It's not tourture, you know? Well," after pausing to remember who he was talking about, he quickly amended, "not entirely, at least."

"I know, sweety." Cho said lightly, still smiling widely and smugly. Harry scoffed.

"You have to sell it. Despite what I may say, I really do love this family. Or, most of this family, anyways. We could be worse. I mean, this isn't a family full of raging lunatics or boozy housewives, so it really isn't that bad."

Cho giggled into the palm of her hand, eyes crinkling around the edges adorably. "I know, Harry, I know. I was just playing with you."

"I know you were, love. But here, like this, look." Harry flashed an overly wide and bright smile at his fiancé who resumed giggling wholeheartedly, eyes sparkling brightly. Harry shook his head, grinning calmly, and turned back to face the road to stop at an oncoming stop sign.

"Oh! Did ya hear that?" Cho asked, looking over at Harry meaningfully and wiggling her eyebrows at him. He raised an eyebrow back at her.

"Hear what? Did you catch another earful of Boston's local road warriors?"

Cho smiled and shook her head slowly, grinning ear to ear. "Nope." She said slowly and then, as if on cue, Harry head it. A noise. A high pitched, bell like little ping emanating from Cho's bag in the back of the car. Cho giggled, smiling even brighter if that was actually possible and turning to ace the back seat in her chair to dig into her small black handbag and pull out her iPhone. "Ovulation app, baby!" Cho exclaimed cheerfully, all smiles and laughter as she stared down at her phone grinning widely with such an amount of brightness it could most likely rival the sun's. 

Harry ooh'd loudly, chuckling along as Cho dismissed the app's alarm so it wouldn't continue to chime throughout the rest of their drive, before holding the phone up near Harry's face. "Today's the day." Cho said in a chipper sing song voice and she sounded so damn happy and excited Harry found himself grinning just as brightly back at her.

"Yup. Today's the day."

Cho leaned back in her seat suddenly and let out a big, loud, happy sounding sigh and swished her feet around on the prius's floor before turning back to Harry and saying, "Are you sure you want to rule out a quicky at your parents' house now?"

Harry cast an unimpressed glance over at her. "Yes, love, I'm still quite sure."

Cho pouted playfully, but her lips kept curling back up into a smile again. "Oh, come on. Just once at least? Just to see if we can get away with it?"

Cho cast a sly, mischievous glance at Harry and Harry opened his mouth to reply but when he saw the look on her face he hesitated....

Finally he sighed. "This is a terrible idea."

Cho brightened up even more, and Harry wondered if her face was starting to hurt she was smiling so widely. "Oh, live a little."

Over at Potter Manor, Minerva Potter was busy examining all the pictures hanging up on her upstairs hallway walls. Sighing and shaking her head to herself she dusted her slightly wrinkled hands together before smoothing her hand over a newly made blank space on the wall that now only showed pale blue-grey paint. 

"It's for the best..." Minerva muttered to herself, nodding once before picking up a nearby photograph resting on a mahogany table that held two young dark haired children, both looking to be in their early years of elementary school, smiling ear to ear and standing side by side in front of a great green-blue looking lake.

"Did you take Sirius's picture off of the wall?" A low, aged voice asked. Minerva gasped lightly and turned around to see her husband, Albus Potter, walking slowly over to her, his pale blue eyes twinkling as they always do, even though he did not look particularly happy at the moment. Minerva sighed, dusting her hands together for the second time before fixing her collar.

"Oh, Albus, you scared me."

Albus chuckled shakily. "I am sorry, my dear." Albus said, and though he sounded jovial Minerva could see he was still troubled. Sighing softly Minerva walked closer to him brushing her hands along down the sides of her dress as she did so.

"Yes, I did. Just for today. Okay?" Flashing him a small smile Minerva reached up to fix her husband's own shirt collar only to stiffen ever so slightly when the doorbell rang noisily. 

"That'll be them, then..." Minerva said before smiling brightly. Albus nodded.

The front door flew open to reveal none other than Hermione Potter, thick golden-brown hair piled up into a high, curly top bun with a shinning porcelain rose clip pinned in the center of it all. She wore a just above knee-cap length slim fitting navy blue dress with black and blue striped high heels on, which she balanced on oh so elegantly. By her side, smiling cheerfully, was her husband, Ronald Weasley, his grey suit well fitting and his hair as flame red as ever. In front of them were their two children, Rose and Hugo. When Albus saw them his eyes brightened and he immediately let out a deep, well-aged chuckle.

"Oh. Oh, honey, did you order a walking Norman Rockwell painting, or did I?"

Hermione laughed, a pleasant sound, genuine and light. "Never gets old, dad."

Minerva's eyes instantly fastened on the children and she smiled warmly as she coo'd "Oh, don't you two look so charming? And just like your parents."

Ron smiled warmly and reached out to shake Albus's extended hand. "Hi, dad."

"Hello there, son." Albus said, eyes twinkling brightly over the rims of his crescent shaped glasses that were hanging on the bridge of his nose.

Ron walked up, gave Albus a hug, and instantly went to do the same to Minerva. Albus's eyes focused on a shape behind Hermione and her children. It was a young woman, she couldn't be over her early twenties. She was petite and slender, covered in yellow-ish oranges little freckles. She had a skip sloped nose, pale pale skin, long, vibrantly red and slightly wavy hair that fell just below her chest, and big blue eyes framed by long dark brown eyelashes. She didn't wear much makeup, but she did clean up nicely, even if all she was wearing was your standard little black dress.

"Oh, and now who is this?" Albus asked, smiling kindly at the young woman who smiled softly back.

Hermione looked behind her and, smiling instantly, turned back to face her family again. "Ah, yes. Mum, dad, this," she reached out her hand and placed it on the girl next to her's slim forearm, "is Ginevra, my new campaign manager." Hermione said, a touch of pride entering her voice and her chest seemed to swell slightly as she looked over at Ginevra who flushed slightly, seeming to not know what to do under both Albus's as well as now Minerva's and Hermione's eyes.

"Oh, well hello, Ginevra."

Flushing slightly Ginny said, "Uh, actually I prefer Ginny, if you don't mind."

"Oh of course, not at all. Hello, Ginny."

Ginny smiled. "Hello."

"When did this happen then?" Minerva asked, raising an eyebrow. Hermione raised her hand and batted it as if to swat away a nearby fly.

"Not too long ago, mum. Six weeks ago or so. I wanted to improve my campaign and, you know me, I had to bring in the best." Hermione turned to smile brightly at Ginny who smiled softly back, a pink flush rising to her cheeks.

"It's lovely to meet the both of you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Ginny said, turning quickly to face Albus and Minerva again who smiled and nodded at her.

"And, likewise, my dear. Please, do come in." Albus said, sweeping a hand behind them and beckoning the two young women to now enter the house. Ginny nodded and ducked her head as she entered. Hermione smiled at both of her parents before placing her hands on both her children's shoulders and helping them to walk through the house in front of her.

The house was simply magnificent. A long, sweeping starlight grey staircase. Shinning mahogany floors. Elegant golden chandeliers holding wax candles and light bulbs alike. High, sweeping ceilings and long walls. The house seemed gigantic, infinite.

"Wow." Ginny said, big blue eyes wide as she looked up and around her at the house. "It's... It's stunning." She turned to Albus and Minerva again, smiling.

Minerva hummed, smiling to herself. "Isn't it just?"

"Thank you, my dear." Albus said, I cling his head towards Ginny who smiled before turning her wide eyes to a particularly magnificent table nearby. Her lips parted into a silent o and she made a move to touch a nearby turquoise base but before she could Albus called out;

"Oh, Hermione dear, your brother just got here."

And so the whole Potter family thus far, plus Ginny, made their way across the vast living room to where Seamus was sitting, or rather lounging, on the side of a nearby cream colored couch. 

"Hey." Hermione called out, smiling softly as she walked up to Seamus who immediately stood up and straightened up before bending down to hug Hermione. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed the small of her back lightly.

"Hey there, Mia." Seamus said lowly, closing his eyes as he continued to rub the small of Hermione's back and rest his chin on top of her head. 

Hermione's eyes fluttered before she pulled back. "Let me get a look at you." She pulled back far enough to take in his entire appearance. Her brown eyes scanned over every inch of his face and neck intently.

"Wow, you..." She let her hand grasp his forearm, turning it over in her grip to see the underside of it. Blemish free. Pursing her lips for a minute she looked back up into Seamus's hazel eyes before a engine smile crossed her face. "You look really good, Seamus."

Seamus smiled softly. "Yeah, you too. Look at you, all, prim and proper. Well, more so than usual anyway." He laughed shortly before staring into her eyes intently. "I really did miss you there, sis."

Hermione nodded, eyes wavering. "I missed you too." She said, voice wavering between normal and almost whisper like tones of voice. "It's good to have you back." 

"It's good to be back." Seamus said, genuinely. Hermione nodded and stared at him for a minute more before smiling softly and stepping off to the side to join Ron, who had taken a seat with the children on the couch Seamus had recently evacuated.

"Where's Harry?" Minerva asked, looking to Albus. Albus opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by the sound of footsteps quickening and calls of "We're here, we're here everyone," and all people in the room turned to see Harry and Cho sprinting into the room. Harry came to a stop and set his bag down noisily on the floor next to him, panting slightly.

"Right. We're here." Harry said, chest heaving slightly and words coming out heavier than usual. Cho was beside him, breathing rapidly and quickly taking her hair out of her low ponytail and smoothing her hands through it in an attempt to make it appear less messy and winded. 

"Oh, Harry, my boy." Albus said jovially before he crossed the room and pulled him into a hug. Harry, still panting, sagged into the hug, leaning his head on his father's shoulder and hugging him back.

"Hi, dad." Harry said, a smile in his voice. 

Albus pulled away, blue eyes twinkling as he took in Harry's appearance. "Oh, my boy, you grew." Albus chuckled softly and Harry had to contain a snort.

"Yeah. Yeah dad, I grew." 

"Ah, I'm glad." Albus smiled warmly before looking over Harry's shoulder at Cho, who was standing rather awkwardly to the side, looking at the whole family with what one could only explain as "deer caught in headlights" eyes. 

"Ah, and who might this be?" Albus asked, already moving away from Harry to make his way over towards Cho.

Oh dear, Harry thought, clearing his throat as he scuffled after his father.

"Right, uh, mum, dad, everyone, this is Cho Chang, my fiancé." 

A pregnant pause entered the room and, if all eyes somehow hadn't been on Cho before then, they most certainly were now. Harry had the sudden almost overpowering urge to turn tail and run, go back to London and live in peace with his fiancé and no one else. At all. Ever. He had the sneaking feeling Cho wouldn't have much objections to that idea too right about now, if her parted lips and wide eyes were anything to go by.

Heaven help us.

"Fiancé? So this is the girl you were telling us all about, then?" Albus asked, looking over Cho behind the rims of his glasses who squirmed slightly on spot.

"Um, it's... It's very nice to meet you all. I've heard so much about you."

"Mm. Likewise". Minerva said. Her voice was significantly less soft than Albus's was and Cho flinched ever so slightly. Harry wanted to kick himself. This was a terrible idea. Why did they do this? Why did they think this was a good idea? This was a terrible idea, 100%. What were they thinking? Or were they even thinking at all?

"It is very nice to meet you then, my dear." Albus said, reaching slightly quivering arms around Cho's shoulders to pull her into a hug. Harry saw Cho's eyes widen slightly as she wrapped her arms in a hesitant, unsure manner around Albus in return. Albus patted her shoulder gently a few times before pulling away.

"It is lovely to meet you, my dear. I'm sure we will get along swimmingly." He said, smiling warmly at her. Cho smiled back softly, still seeming uneasy. Minerva's eyes were glued intently upon Cho and Harry could tell that Cho was getting uncomfortable because of it, if the sounds of scuffing her heels made on the wooden floor as she kept shifting her weight from side to side was any indication.

Harry cleared his throat loudly. "Right, so, let's get on with it, shall we?" 

"Great idea." Ginny said, eagerly stepping out from behind a couch she'd been leaning on and stepping towards the center of the room where she knew she could be seen and heard by everyone. Once Albus had turned away and started to walk back towards where Minerva stood, Harry all but rushed to his fiancé's side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She instantly tucked herself into his side, her hand grasping his own around her shoulders.

"Hey, are you okay?" he whispered gently to her. Cho nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I... I'm fine. Really, it's okay."

"It's just..." Harry hesitated and licked his lips before continuing, "I know they can all be a bit...intense. But they're really not that bad when you get to know them. And you did great. I... I'm not good with words, you know this better than anyone, but I just want you to know you're gonna be fine here, alright?"

Cho smiled softly. "I'm glad. You're doing fine too." She tapped his shoulder with her finger and smiled at him before walking over to a nearby couch opposite the one Hermione, Ron, Seamus, Albus and Minerva were sitting on and sat down.

"Now that that's all taken care of I would like to take this time to say that it's wonderful to meet you all." Ginny said, smiling and looking around at each of them in turn. She tucked a stray piece of long fiery red hair behind her ear before continuing. "Now, as I'm sure you all know, it is never easy to unseat the unconvent."

"Mhmm. Even when he really deserves it." Hermione said pointedly, a smirk pulling at her lips. Cho's eyes widened in surprise and Harry snorted beside her.

"Hermione." Minerva chastises. Hermione pouts.

"Sorry, mother."

Ginevra chuckles. "So, the objective here is to invite the press in to get to know the Potters. The people of your district love their city counselor. We need the people of Boston to love their potential new Mayor, and her family. The key is keeping you relatable to working class citizens who are growing....disillusioned, let's say, with Mayor Lestrange."

"This family grew up working class." Albus pointed out insistently. "Harry here is a teacher, and from what I hear, miss Chang is a police officer." Is that right, my dear?"

Cho hummed and nodded and Harry leaned forward in his seat.

"She actually just made detective, not to brag or anything." Harry turned bright eyes to his fiancé and smiled at her as he rubbed his arms up and down her shoulders. Cho seemed to beam with pride as everyone immediately applauded and congratulated her.

"And you know what else? Right here we have the creator of Roger's Cube." Albus said, gesturing proudly at Seamus who grinned. 

"Yes indeed, and this is the first strip ever published." Minerva handed Ginny a framed piece of comic paper that had been sitting on a nearby coffee table. "He would read the comics every day and then draw his own right beside them. And now he's syndicating in 85 newspapers."

Seamus ducked his head and rubbed at the back of his neck with his left hand. "Oh, give it a rest, ma. I'm sure poor Ginny doesn't want to hear all that."

But Ginny instantly shook her head. "No, actually on the contrary, I find this all rather amazing for you. Growing up observing something all your life only to later become the very thing you were observing and admiring. That's... Well, that's inspirational." Ginny said, smiling brightly at Seamus. Seamus smiled back widely.

"Gee, thanks. That means a lot."

Ginny nodded, smiling still and Seamus's smile got bigger and brighter. Hermione uncrossed her legs in her chair, her lips looking pinched all of a sudden.

"Yeah, he's an inspiration to us all."

"Hermione." Minerva said firmly and softly and Hermione huffed. Ginny shook her head, looking over at Hermione and flushing slightly as they locked eyes before shaking her head and turning her eyes to lock onto Seamus's 9 year old little boy sitting next to him on the floor.

"Oh, hello there. Do you want to be an artist like your dad?" Ginny asked, smiling down at him. The little boy looked up from his black sketch book and clicked his pen.

"Actually, I'd really like to be a medical examiner. For the autopsies." An unusual amount of confidence and matureness highlighted his still child-like sounding voice. Minerva cast a meaningful look at Seamus. Albus nodded to himself. Hermione's lips pursed. Cho's eyes widened. Harry slapped a hand over his mouth as subtly as possible and tried to pass his sudden laugh off as a loud cough. Ginny's smile had faded and she was left staring down at the kid in surprise.

"Um." Ginny said softly.

Seamus smiled sheepishly. "He's, uh... He's just going through a phase, you know?" 

Ginny nodded slowly. "Mhmm. Soo, are there any other rooms that are not quite as grand?" Ginny asked, looking around at the grandeur surrounding them with wide eyes still.

"Yes, of course, let's show you around."

After much deciding on the bottom floor Ginny decided to usher them all into their best bet and low-key wealthyness, the study. Stacks and stacks of bookshelves filled the walls, a rich oak wood desk, expensive looking desk lights and typewriter in a corner. Oh dear. Best bet, best bet. 

Meanwhile Cho pulled Harry off to where they had found out was the pantry.

"Come on, keep up." Cho whispered excitedly to him.

"Oh jeez, are you really sure you wanna do this, love?" Harry asked her. Cho threw a wink over her shoulder.

"Of course." And she kicked the pantry door closed with her heel.

In the study Albus and Minerva had sat down. 

"So, let's just say I'm the inerviewer. Tell me about your career." Ginny said, folding her hands together in front of her.

"Sure, well I'm an entrepreneur now and I-" Albus started but Ginny, who had begun shaking her head already, quickly interrupted him.

"No. No, you started your own business. You work in construction. We need to tap into the people that you were twenty years ago, before Potter concreted Boston became what it now is today."

"Uhm, Ginnevra, I hate to break it to you but this family was still fairly well off even before Potter Concrete happened." Hermione pointed out. Ginny made a face but recovered quickly.

"Still, it's a good place to start. So let's just--" But Ginny trailed off as a nearby painting caught her eyes. Eyes widening she walked over to it, hand hovering over it, almost touching but not quite.

"Is... Is that....?" Turning on her heels to face everyone in the room again Ginny pointed at the painting on the wall with a slim, burgundy painted index finger. "Is that an original Polluck?"

"Yes it is." Answered Minerva at once. 

Ginny's lips pursed. "Hmm."  
\------------------------------------------

"This isn't gonna work. It's too extravagant. We need a change of venue and pronto." Ginny said as she marched through the big kitchen with Hermione trailing close behind her.

"So, what are you thinking then? We stick to campaign head quarters?" Hermione asked her, arms crossing over her chest.

Ginny sighed. "Well, that's our best bet at the moment." 

Meanwhile in the pantry Cho brought her hand up to her lips in a shushing motion.

"What, what is it?" Harry whispered to her, brow furrowed.

Cho's eyes widened. "Be quiet, someone's coming."

"So, the little boy, the budding coroner, where's mom?" Ginny asked, turning towards Hermione and leaning on the dining table behind her: when Hermione didn't answer Ginny sighed. "Come on, please? I need to know where all the bodies are buried."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She and Seamus met at art school, bonded over their deep love of drugs and bad decision making and along came Jack. Seamus finally got clean last year and is now divorcing Daphne Greengrass, who hasn't been clean for more than five minutes for as long as I've known her." 

In the pantry Harry, in an attempt to put his jacket back on again ended up knocking a frying pan off of the rack overhead and sent it clanging noisily to the ground. Hermione and Ginny whipped their heads towards where the sound had come from.

"Is somebody in there?" Hermione called, eyebrows furrowed.

"Uh yeah, yeah we are." Cho called out. She quickly put both her heels on before opening the pantry door and smiling too brightly. "Hey, you two. We were just scouring around for a, uh.." She held up the blue box of wheat thins she had managed to snag from a nearby shelf at the last minute. "..snack." 

"Oh, how great, just the person I was looking for." Ginny said, making eye contact with Cho who raised an eyebrow.

"Who? Me??" Cho asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, you. I was wondering, do you still have a regular police uniform that you could wear for the photo-op?" 

Cho shook her head sadly. "Oh, I'm so sorry but they already made us turn those back in."

Ginny pouted slightly. "Oh. That's too bad. Okay, well just keep in mind that luxury reads on camera so don't wear any articles of clothing that cost more than 100$." 

Cho let out a light giggle. "Yeah, of, of course, that'll be no problem."

Ginny grinned. "Excellent. Oh, also, your fly's down." Ginny said, her eyes gliding down towards Harry's pants pointedly. 

"Oh, wha...?" Harry looked down too. "Oh."

Ginny nodded, grinning impishly.

"Uhm, Ginny, we have an issue." Hermione said, looking up from her phone and to Ginny with wide eyes. Ginny's own eyes narrowed.

"What is it?"

"Uhm..." With a nod to Harry and Cho Hermione walked out of the kitchen and Ginny, of course, followed suit right on her heels.

"I told you." Harry whispered to Cho the second they had left. Cho giggled.

"Part of the ceiling collapsed in a tunnel along the express way." Hermione said lowly, face grim as she turned to face Ginny. Ginny's eyes widened.

"Oh god. Please tell me Potter Concrete didn't supply that part of the tunnel."

Hermione shook her head. "I wish that I could. God, Lestrange is gonna be all over this." 

"Yeah, he really is." Ginny said, nodding along.

"This could be worse than the i6 collapse." Hermione said, running a small, shaking hand through her hair. Ginny watched her with compassionate eyes before reaching out and wrapping her fingers around Hermione's wrist to still her movements.

"Hey, look at me." Hermione's eyes jumped to Ginny's instantly and Ginny took a big breath before continuing. "I'm not gonna blow smoke up your ass and say everything's going to be fine, but I am going to tell you that you shouldn't worry about all this right now. Right now it isn't your problem. Right now. So just relax, okay? Please?" 

Hermione stared at her hard for a minute before swallowing audibly and nodding. "Okay. Okay...."

Lights flashed in the tunnel. Tow trucks were being called and hauling wrecked or immobile cars off with them. Police sirens blared and lights flashed, a constant rave-like assault of bright red white and blue colors blending together on the dark cement walls making the light appear purple more times than not. A pil of concrete still lay ontop of the first lost car. And sticking out the jagged, ripped and cracked side of said hunks of concrete was the shining wide golden buckle of a belt...


	3. Eventful Indeed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so the mystery deepens.

Cho Chang rushed into the police station back building office, her heels clacking noisily on the hard floor, her head ducked down ever so slightly, long dark hair loose and bouncing around her face as she walked at a rushed pace, pulling in her shoulders and turning to the side to maneuver past her co-workers. 

Apparently she had arrived just in time. Just in time to see the door to her boss's office open and hear him bitching up an apparent storm.

"I know, I know, unbelievable. Completely unbelievable!" Her boss's loud voice exclaimed. Cho sucked in a deep breath and tried her best to prepare herself for the onslaught of orders she was sure she was going to receive today.

"Happy hour started early today, I see." Cho remarked dryly. Her boss instantly looked over to her.

"Something like that. Big find on the tunnel collapse." He then handed her a decent sized stack of papers he had had clutched in his left hand. Confused, Cho looked down at the papers, which she now saw were pictures, with a slightly raised eyebrow. The pictures were all of a musty, worn looking light leather belt, intricate carvings decorating it's front. There were pictures of it just lying about on a white table and other pictures of it halfway lodged into solid cement.

"A belt?" Cho asked in surprise, brows furrowing slightly. "I don't get it, how did a belt get inside the tunnel?" 

"Well," her boss said as they both started to walk down the hallway side by side, "my guess is that somebody disposed of it after they used it in a murder. Now the prints come back to this guy. Must've left them on the belt when he fought back." And he slid another large photograph he had been holding in his hand still onto the pile of photos Cho was holding. Cho tucked a stray piece of wandering dark hair out of her line of vision and behind her ear as she examined the picture in front of her. The guy was average, couldn't be over 28. Nothing to write home about, really.

"Who's he?" Cho asked, looking up at her boss. Her boss pursed his lips.

"Name's David Morales. Now does that ring a bell?" He asked her intently, turning to lean against the side of a nearby wall and staring intently at her, slightly beady dark eyes pinning her in her spot. She swallowed thickly and shook her head.

"Nothing? Not even the slightest of bells. Silver bells, maybe?" 

The reaction those few words had on Cho were instantaneous. Her eyes widened, dark brown eyes lifting up from the pictures again to look up at her boss with wide eyes. She straightened up, her back tall and taut and her shoulders tensed. 

"That.... That's..." Cho stuttered, at a complete and utter loss for what to say now. This... This couldn't be.

Her boss chuckled lowly, but it was devoid of much humor. "Yeah, exactly. Alright, forensics is on it, but we've still got a lot of stuff we need to cover. Best to get started now." He patted her firmly on her slim shoulders and walked past her but Cho continued to stare wide-eyed at the place he'd just evacuated even as he proceed to bark orders at other workers around her. She took in a shuddering breath, shoulders shaking slightly.

Shit.  
\----------------------------------  
"Wait, wait, wait.... A man's belt?" Hermione asked increduosly, pressing her silver iPhone closer to her ear and tucking stray pieces of thick brown hair behind her ears as if it would help her hear more clearly.

"Oh yeah. And the prints on it matched one of the victims of the Silver Bells Killer. They're running it for DNA as we speak." Cho answered on the other end of the phone, balancing her phone in between her ear and her shoulder as she moved the paperwork in front of her around on her desk.

"Oh. Oh my god." Hermione exclaimed, suddenly feeling rather faint.

"We've never had a Silver Bells murder weapon. It's the biggest lead this case has gotten in years. I thought you'd want to know ASAP." 

"Absolutely. Thank you, Cho."

"Of course, don't mention it. Oh, and uh, Hermione?" Cho's voice turned hesitant and she bit at her bottom lip slightly.

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Well, it's just... Catching this case would be a real career maker for me. So if you happen to find yourself on the phone with the commissioner...." Cho let her voice trail off to the end, her meaning loud and clear and she flushed in shame at what she was actually requesting.

On the opposite line of the phone Hermione finally came to a slowed stop once she'd reached the top of the flight of stairs she had been walking. Nodding in understanding, Hermione replied, "Of course."

Just then Ginny appeared by her side, smoothing down her skirt and clutching a clipboard close to her chest. Hermione glanced waveringly at her before turning into the phone and saying, "Hey, Cho, I've actually got to go now. But we'll talk soon, okay?"

Cho nodded, bending down to open her desk's drawers in the hopes of retrieving a pen. "Yeah, sure. Bye Hermione."

Hermione's lips twitched. "Goodbye, Cho." She pulled the phone away from her ear and clicked the end call button, signifying their conversation was now over with a light electronic beep. 

Pocketing her phone quickly, Hermione turned to face Ginny now, a glint in her eyes. "We have an opportunity."

Ginny raised an eyebrow.  
\--------------------------------------  
-"And, in other news, there has been a stunning break tonight in the case of the elusive serial killer known as Silver Bells. Rubble from the recent tunnel collapse revealed evidence connected to victim killed back in 2002. Police still--"

-"A killer known for strangling his victims and leaving no trace at the scene, except for his signature eery calling card; a small silver handbell. What--"

-"Six victims from 1999 to 2002 before the murders abruptly stopped and the case went cold. But it seems to be thawing out now. Could Silver Bells really be back, or could it simply be a copy-cat killer filling in in his place?"

The lights from the tv were bright in the dimly lit room, the television continuing to chatter on and on about the infamous Silver Bell killings as well as the resurfaced lead on the long thought dead case. 

A nearby shot glass was filled with shimmering Amber liquid, Jack Daniels. A tall, dark form traveled to sit down in a nearby chair, setting down the shot glass and picking up the remote to change the channel again. 

"--which makes me believe that the infamous Silver Bells Killer could still possibly be at large." 

Lips pulled up in a wide grin, exposing sharp, white teeth. 

This was going to be....interesting.

Chuckling softly, the darks form raised their shot glass to their lips and downed it all in one go.

God, it was good to be back.  
\---------------------------------  
Hermione was stood up on a platform behind a wooden podium, hands clasped in front of her on the podium loosely, comfortably, resting with an undeniable air of confidence and casualness on the podium. Interviews had been going on all day, the whole town abuzz with theories and ideas as to what was going on with the Silver Bells Killer case, and if the killer could still possibly be at large. The crowd surrounding the podium was whispering, gossiping, all around them, citizens exchanging conspiracy theories and wild thoughts of the Silver Bells Killer returning to finish more of what he had started. The crowd was humming, buzzing, like shaken up bees in a crammed jar. It was...interesting. Annoying, but interesting.

All around them, cameras clicked and flashed and reporters set up all their equipment and shoved citizens aside in the hopes of getting a front row seat to Hermione's speech. Hermione's lips quirked upwards in a slight smirk. 

Most of the Potter family was present up on the podium too. Cho was still at work, Ron didn't really do crowds and had instead offered to stay at the mansion with Rose and Hugo, Pansy and her mystery fiancé still had yet to make an appearance, much to Minerva's and Hermione's annoyance. So the only remaining family members standing on the platform, to the side and behind Hermione and her podium, were Albus, Minerva, Seamus with Jack standing in front of him, and Harry.

Locking eyes with Minerva behind her, and watching as her mother inclined her head and nodded, Hermione pressed her lips together and leaned forward to speak clearly into the microphone resting atop the podium's top.

"Many of you remember the terror, the undeniable fear, that gripped our city during that time. I know I certainly do. Though the murders stopped, the fear has never gone away, and it won't. Not until the Silver Bells Killer is finally behind bars." 

Ginny had shoved her way up to the front of the crowd and was beaming up at Hermione brightly, blue eyes practically glowing, all white teeth and crinkled eyes. "You're doing great." She mouthed up at Hermione, who's lips twitched upwards ever so slightly. Looking back up to face the whole crowd again, Hermione smirked and cast a cursory glance to the side. "Unfortunately we haven't gotten any closer to that under Mayor Lestrange's watch. But if I am your new mayor, I will make it my own personal mission to work side-by-side with law enforcement to crack this case and lay all our fears to rest once and for all. So that the citizens of Boston can sleep easy knowing that--"

But unfortunately whatever Hermione was going to continuing saying never came into being because just then Albus took in a shuddering breath, eyes rolling heavily into the back of his head, before falling face forward and not moving again. Minerva gasped, loud and hard, small eyes widened. Seamus stood frozen, his fingers twitching on Jack's shoulder to keep him from moving towards Albus's still immobile form on the ground.

"Oh god..." Harry murmured, feeling all the blood and color drain from his face as he saw Hermione turn to look over at Albus, doe-eyes wide and already watering. 

"Dad? Dad!" Hermione was instantly by his side, bending down and tucking her skirt underneath her as she sat down beside him and reached a slightly shaking hand out to his neck to check his pulse. Her breathing was quick, her eyes seeming to grow bigger and bigger by the second.

"Somebody, please, somebody please get help! Please!" Hermione called out loudly. Ginny was immobile in the crowd, completely frozen as she watched the scene unfold in front of her with big eyes and parted lips. 

"Call 911, please!" Hermione called, voice loud and shaky and Minerva was sitting beside her on the ground, subbing small circles on her back as she glanced down at Albus's still form with dull eyes. Harry was beside them too, taking out his cellphone already and willing his fingers to stop shaking long enough to successfully dial 911. 

All around them, people yelled and whispered alike, citizens huddled close together, cameras flashed and whirred and chaos continued.  
\------------------------------  
In the nearest Boston hospital, in a far corner in the nearly deserted waiting room, sat a rather grim looking picture. Minerva was sitting in a stiff waiting room chair, posture straight with alertness and sagging with exhaustion at the same time. Her face seemed more lined than usual and her small eyes were darker than usual. She was wringing her hands together in her lap restlessly, sighing to herself every now and then.

Seamus kept rubbing his hand on Jack's shoulder as if to calm him, despite the fact Jack didn't seem to need it. In fact, out of all of them, Hermione seemed to be the one who needed comfort the most at the time. She was pacing, up and down up and down, in front of them all, murmuring and frowning to herself, her brow creased and her lips pulled down in a worried fret. 

"He was worried about the tunnel collapse." Hermione said as she kept lacing, back and forth, back and forth, her heels clacking noisily on the tiled hospital floor. Her chest rising and falling noticeably and quickly.

Down in her seat, Minerva shook her head slowly. "We don't know that."

"No, he was!" Hermione said firmly, insistently. She finally stopped her pacing and heaved a great sigh, running a hand through her hair, her nervous habit. "God, I should have emphasized that it was just the bolts, nothing to do with our family's concrete--"

"Hey, Mia, I know the world typically tends to revolve around you, but I'm pretty sure your press conference up there didn't cause dad's heart attack." Seamus interrupted her, voice low and slightly scratchy. He blinked and slowly got up from his own chair before making his way over to her and placing his hands on both her slim, shaking shoulders. "Okay?" He asked her.

Hermione hesitated, lips trembling before nodding twice tightly and she seemed to be reluctantly calming down at long last. Until, of course, Jack decided to chime in with;

"Well, actually, extreme stress can trigger cardiac arrest." Jack pointed out fairly, voice confident and controlled. Too confident for one so young. Minerva turned in her seat to face him and cast him a long look before saying, "Jack, why don't you go and play with the twins?" and jutting her pointed chin over to where Rose and Hugo were laying on the hospital floor, wriggling their legs and shoulders and laughing happily to themselves. 

Reluctantly rising from his seat, Jack inhaled and took long, controlled strides towards the twins until he came to a stop right in front of them. Tilting his head to look down on them, he sniffed and asked; "Do you know how many different microbes could be on that floor?" 

Casting a lingering glance at Jack, Harry shook his head and looked away before speaking. "I think that we should tell Sirius." At Hermione's light scoff and eyeroll, Seamus's cringe, and Minerva's sudden intake of breath, Harry sighed heavily. "It's his family too. He should know what's going on."

"Well, what do you think?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms over her chest and looking over at Minerva who hit her lip before letting out a puff of breath and shaking her head.

"I think if he really cared, he would have left a forwarding address. Or at least a phone number."

Looking in between Hermione and Minerva Harry shook his head. "You guys are unbelievable, you know that, right?"

Minerva opened her mouth to reply but something off in the distance behind Hermione and Seamus caught her eye instead and her small eyes hardened, nose tilting up ever so slightly.

"What? Mom, what is it?" Hermione asked as she and Seamus both turned to see what had caught Minerva's interest behind them.

Seamus saw her first. "Oh no..."

Making her way towards them in strides was none other than Daphne Greengrass. Her dirty blonde hair was less greasy since the last time they'd seen it, skin clearer, eyes just a bit more focused. Her hair was bouncing on her shoulders as she approached them all.

"Hi mom!" Jack called cheerfully, sounding like a normal kid for the first time in ages since Harry had gotten here. 

Daphne smiled warmly and raised her hand, wiggling her fingers at him. "Hi baby."

"Oh, God, not this again..." Seamus said lowly before skirting quickly past Hermione and walking over to meet Daphne half way to them.

Hermione's face instantly turned dark so quickly and so deeply it reminded Harry of in the cartoons of his childhood where a character would get angry and their face would scrunch up tightly as if they'd just ate 100 lemons without pausing. It was as if a dark cloud had appeared lever Hermione's face, her big bambi eyes seeming to lose their sparkle and narrowing noticeably as a scowl pulled at the corners of her lips and she folded her arms tightly across her chest as she stared Seamus down as he walked over to his ex.

"What is she doing here?" Hermione murmured lowly out of the corner of her mouth, pure annoyance seeping through every word she uttered. Harry shook his head, worrying at his bottom lip as he too watched Seamus and his ex walk up to each other. 

"I don't know." Harry said quietly, face unreadable as he observed Seamus starting to talk, but there was a small little crease in the patch of skin between both his dark eyebrows.

"What the hell are you doing here right now?" Seamus asked angrily, eyes glinting suspiciously as he stopped in front of Daphne Greengrass. Daphne actually had the nerve to look sheepish, lowering her wavering gaze to her feet and she shifted her weight from side to side in sheepish habit.

"I... I just..." Sighing heavily, she muttered a short "screw it" under her breath and looked up to stare into Seamus's eyes, her baby blues glinting. "I heard about what happened to your dad, Seam. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Seamus squared his shoulders, face tightening. "I'm fine. He isn't dead, he just...he just had a bit of a scare. But it's alright now."

Daphne's face brightened slightly. "That's good. That's really good, Seam."

Seamus shook his head firmly. "Don't call me that. Not anymore."

Daphne's expression took on that of a kicked puppy, all parted lips and wide eyes. "But... Seam-- Seamus, I... I've actually been meaning to talk to you for a while. I've been cleaning up my act recently and I want us to try. To try to be a family again. I think it would be really good for us. And for him too." Daphne jutted her chin out and over in the direction of their child. Seamus looked over to where his son was kicking his legs about over the edge of the sofa, doodling in his notebook contentedly. His eyes lingered there for a while before closing off again, determination lighting them from the inside as he turned back to Daphne, a firm look on his face.

"Daphne, we were never a family. And we never will be. We're.. We're too alike. It's over between us, and it's gonna stay that way. Now get out." 

Daphne reeled back as if she had been slapped, eyes wide and flickering with shock and hurt. "B... But, Seam--"

Seamus held up a hand and then used that hand to point towards the hospital's double doors. "No. Now. Get outta here before I fall in staff." 

Staggering back, jewel eyes wide and shinning with more than just the hospital's bright fluorescent lights, she turned around and practically ran out of the hospital and through the double doored exit again. 

From beside Harry, Hermione hummed.

"And good riddance."  
\--------------------------  
Stepping outside the hospital's double doors and into the chilly late night Boston air, Harry pulled his jacket closed as he listened to the phone ring.

They picked up after three rings. "Hunting Hut. We're closed now. Call back later."

"No! No, wait, please, this is Sirius Black's godkid Harry."

A short pause followed before; "Wait, I remember you. You called once before."

"Yeah, listen can you give him a message for me? It's kinda..." Casting a key glance over his shoulder at his family all huddled up to each other inside the brightly lit hospital, Harry expelled a puff of air from his body, shoulders sagging slightly. "..important."

"What's in it for me?" Came the immediate reply and Harry wanted to scoff.

"Our dad just had a massive heart attack and we don't know if he's gonna make it. Give Sirius the message." Harry said firmly before clicking end call. Taking a deep breath, he turned his full attention back to his family still inside the brightly lit hospital only to widen his eyes in surprise as he saw a nurse talking to them now and Hermione practically sagging in relief, falling into Seamus's arms at once. 

Harry sighed, relief flooding through him rapidly.

He was gonna be okay. Albus was gonna be okay.  
\-----------------------  
Pansy arrived just in time for the last three minutes of visiting hours, thick dark brown hair flying around her face messily, sun kissed cheeks flushed a rosy pink, chest heaving and breath audible due to panting. She had rushed into the hospital and skidded to a halt just in time to narrowly avoid a confrontation between her face and a nearby blindingly white hospital wall. 

"Sorry, it's just.. It's the heels, I can't.." Pansy turned to face them and let out a short laugh, cheeks pinking even more. "walk in heels." Taking in a deep breath, she smiled a small, sheepish smile. "Hi guys."

"Hi." Harry said, walking up to her and instantly wrapping her up in a tight hug, which she returned eagerly. Leaning his chin on the top of her head Harry took a deep breath and smiled softly. "I missed you."

Pansy laughed, the sound coming out slightly muffled due to her face being buried in Harry's shirt. "I missed you too. You grew far too much, by the way." Pansy said, pulling back to grin at him. Harry nodded.

"So I've been told, yeah."

Standing on slightly tipped toes to look past Harry at Seamus and Hermione. Pansy's smile got smaller and shy-er. "Uh, hi."

"Well, well, look who decided to drop by." Hermione said, tone far too sugary sweet sounding to mean anything genuinely good. Pansy frowned.

"'Decided to drop by'? Please, like I'd ever miss you running for mayor."

Hermione raised a single elegant eyebrow. "Really?" Hermione shrugged. "Could have fooled me."

Pansy sighed heavily. "Do you really want to do this right now? Really??"

Hermione's brows furrowed and she shrugged her shoulders again. "Do what? I'm just wondering why you're late is all. That's not too bad, is it?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "You know what. And fine, we...got a late start."

Hermione raised both eyebrows up this time. "Ah, speaking of 'we'... Where is Mr. Mystery, anyway? Shouldn't he be here with you? You promised we would all meet him."

Pansy chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, don't worry, you'll meet him. He's back at home with Ron and Cho. And yes, I did finally get to meet her, Harry." Pansy threw Harry a look, cat's eye hazel eyes glinting and she winked. "She's gorgeous. Really." 

Harry smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, she is, isn't she?"

"Uhm, 'home'?" Seamus asked her. Pansy nodded.

"Oh,yeah, I forgot to tell you in my last email but we want to stay in the mansion. Take a walk down memory lane and all that... That is, if it's alright with you all, of course?" 

"I'll go check up on mom, I'll be right back." Hermione murmured, nodding to Pansy before brushing past her and walking across the room and down the hall into the room Albus was currently resting in. Harry, Hermione, and Seamus had already gotten to see him. He was stable and conscious. Better than they had hoped for, to be honest. 

"But, yeah, would it be alright if we stayed at the house?" Pansy asked, eyes searching as she looked from Seamus to Harry and back again. Harry smiled warmly at her.

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Cho and I are staying at the house too, by the way, so you won't be too lonely."

Pansy brightened. "Great! That's great." 

"Yeah, and Jack and I are actually gonna be in the house too. You know, until Daphne finds a new place and moves out." Seamus cut in and Pansy brightened.

"Nice. Maybe we'll all be one big happy family then."

Harry snored. "I wouldn't hold your breath there."

Hermione exited Albus's hospital room, careful to close the door with a light click softly behind her. In the now empty waiting room, except for all of them, Hermione's shoes were louder than they had been before, clacking insistently upon the tiles. 

Hermione approached them and sighed. "Mom wants to spend the night here with him." 

"Oh, that's fine." Seamus said instantly and Harry and Pansy nodded.

"Yeah, totally fine." Pansy agreed.

"Hey, I think we should all stay at the house for like, maybe the next few days. She's gonna need some support when she gets back." Harry said and Pansy nodded, perking up considerably.

"Yeah, yeah Harry, that's a great idea! I mean we're all gonna be staying there anyway. And hey, maybe we'll all be together." Pansy said brightly, looking pointedly over at Hermione and smiling. Hermione seemed confused as to why Pamsy was looking at her like that at first before she caught on and shook her head.

"Oh, no. I'll be at my house. But thanks."


	4. Out with the new and in with the old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so it continues.

Harry was absolutely exhausted. He had driven home on his own, seeing as how Pansy, Seamus and Hermione all had their own cars. They'd bade their mother and father their own goodbyes before they'd all left the hospital, giving Pansy a chance to greet both her parents. And while Minerva looked stern and annoyed at first that eventually came to pass and she was just left looking exhausted inside and out. She needed rest and something told Harry she wasn't going to get it. Not tonight, at least. Even if she could manage to sleep tonight it would not be in comfort. Not in the stiff-backed chairs in the hospital and waiting rooms, or with the constant monitor beeping, sounds of feet scuffling, doors clicking open and closed and lights flipping on and off throughout the night. Still Harry hoped she would be able to catch at least two hours of sleep. She would need it.

They'd all arrived at the mansion together, well, all of them except for Hermione of course, who made true on her word and had turned her car in the opposite direction the others weren't going in, towards her own house. She'd called Ron and told him to meet her back at their house and to bring the twins along with him. Ron had been gone by the time that Harry and the others had arrived at the house. 

And then there was the matter of having to greet Pansy's fiancé, her mystery man to be. He was all Harry had expected him to be. Tall, dark, and handsome. Wide-shouldered, pointed jawd and straight-backed. Minerva would approve. He had dark skin, even darker eyes that were a dark brown not unalike Hermione's, but whereas Hermione's eyes were all the same shade of deep dark brown, this man's eyes had little flecks of Amber-ish gold in them, showing through when the lights in the mansion hit them in the right places every now and then. His name was Blaise. Blaise Zabinni. Of decent Italian decent, the Zabinni's were fairly wealthy and apparently had managed to produce a long line of lawyers and salesmen in their family. Minerva would definitely approve. And Harry doubted even Hermione could complain much about this guy at the moment. Pansy had done well, as Harry knew she would, because how could she not? She was a knockout, the full package; looks, brains, talent, a personality, and it didn't hurt that she had her fair share of money and fame in Boston. 

Blaise hadn't been very talkative at first. But as Harry, Pansy, and Seamus kept talking on into the night he ended up losing his strong and silent persona and became almost humerus, sharing his own rather surprisingly snarky jokes and laughing a low, deep chuckle whenever Pansy would say anything remotely funny. And the way they looked at each other. Blaise would look down at Pansy and his whole face would seem to soften and suddenly he didn't look so tall and intimidating anymore. He looked like any other guy. But Pansy, looking up at him with sparkling cat-like eyes, practically glowed in the dim lighting of the living room of the mansion. She was like a star in the darkness, a beacon of light. She glowed. And it made Harry's heart soar. It was good to see that she had done good for herself while she'd been away. Harry had worried about her the most. Her being the baby of the whole Potter family it was only natural to wonder and worry but even Harry, who hated to play favorites, had to admit he was closest to Pansy out of all of them. Pansy was like him, she was laid back, easy going (and easy to get along with), and she didn't hold many standards or expectations that Harry had to live up to like the rest of his family seemed to do. And Seamus was like that too, really, but his and Harry's bond had been sort of strained ever since Seamus really started doing drugs. But hopefully that will all clear up now. Hopefully. 

Hopefully...  
\-------------------------  
Harry sighed as he turned out the bathroom's light and walked out of the door that lead from the bathroom and into his bedroom. Looking over towards the bed he saw that Cho was already asleep, head propped up snugly against what seemed to be a sea of off-white pillows, long black hair fanning out behind her into a sea of wavy inky black curls framing her head like a big blotchy halo. Her skin seemed even paler in the dim light of their bedroom, and with the open window beside the bed, with the nearby lightpost's light shinning in slightly through the glass, her skin seemed to glow a silvery white in the darkness, like moonlight. Her eyes were closed, long dark eyelashes grazing the top of her high cheekbones, chest rising and falling in deep rhythmical patterns that showed she was asleep and snug. Harry smiled softly at the sight. 

He began to make his way over to his side of the bed to lay down and join her in her state of rest but before he could make it there something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head to face the window nearby he took a few slow, cautious steps towards it and leaned forward, squinting his eyes slightly behind his glasses as if that would help his eyesight to work even better as he peered out of the window and out into the darkness of the night. Directly across from his bedroom's window was the big family greenhouse, all tall pointed glass ceilings, big square and occasionally rounded glass windows, and glass doors. Pretty much glass everything, really. And, surrounded by the sound pitch black darkness of nighttime, illuminated only from the inside and by a single streetpole nearby, the green house took on an eery effect, glowing in the darkness almost of it's own accord and standing proud in loneliness out in the night. It creeped Harry out. 

Biting his bottom lip Harry's shoulders relaxed and he moved to turn away, sure he'd imagined the little flicker he thought he'd saw in there but before he could turn back around and make to head into bed again something stopped him and now he was sure he hadn't imagined anything. Moving around slowly, craning his neck down and from side to side, was Seamus. He was in a lightweight looking navy blue shirt and sweatpants, his sleepwear. Harry's brow furrowed. What was Seamus doing down in the greenhouse of all places this late at night? Reluctantly turning his gaze away from his brother and towards the alarm clock resting on the headboard of his bed, Harry read the clock's flickering dark green letters. 1:03 am. 

What was Seamus doing up at all? Pansy and Blaise had headed off to bed long ago, and Cho had as well too now. Why was Seamus still up? Surely he had to be just as exhausted as the rest of them, and, turning his attention back to the window again, Harry knew he was. He could see it in the groggy was his brother moved, but at moments he seemed to crane his neck and move to walk with an almost eager, rapid like speed. Brows furrowing more now, Harry leaned closer towards the window to get a better look at what Seamus was doing.

And that's when Seamus really started to move again, moving towards a nearby slightly rusted tall metal shelf and shuffling clay pots to the side and out of the way, hands digging this way and that and something in Harry's mind clicked. He pursed his lips and sighed.  
\-------------------------  
"Hey." Harry called out to his brother once he'd walked into the greenhouse, shutting the door behind him as quietly as possible.

There was a sudden intake of breath, followed by the sound of garden pots and possibly other gardening tools as well, banging into each other and Seamus peeked his head out from around the corner of a nearby metal shelf, eyes wide and body tense. He relaxed somewhat when he saw it was only Harry though, sighing deeply.

"Oh, geez, Harry. You scared me."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him as he began to walk over towards him and away from the doorway he'd just come through. "So... What are you doing out here?"

Seamus's right shoulder jutted upwards suddenly, rising up and down shortly in a half-shrug. "Oh, just y'know, lookin' around."

Harry nodded. "Mhmm. For what?"

Turning around to face a shelf behind him, Seamus resumed his digging around half heartedly. "Uh, pictures and stuff. I thought maybe I'd bring the ones I find over to the hospital tomorrow for mam or...something."

Sucking in a deep breath, Harry blinked before asking, "Do you have a stash out here?"

All of Seamus' movements stilled instantly, and Harry saw his back extend outward and then inward as he took a bigger than usual breath. Turning back towards him, shoulders tense now, Seamus looked him in the eyes and blinked slowly. "What? No." But at Harry's disbelieving look and further arched eyebrow, Seamus's shoulders sagged and he leaned his back against the shelf behind him for support. "... Fine, maybe. It's just weed."

Harry shook his head. "Don't lie to me."

Looking up from the greenhouse ground he had begun examining, Seamus's eyes were wider in shock, lips slightly parted before he sighed heavily, now leaning back all the way against the metal shelf, which creaked slightly in the acknowledgment of all the new weight it was supporting at the moment. "... It's not just weed."

Scoffing through his nose, Harry shook his head at his brother in disbelief. "Why would you, Seamus? Why? You've made it for almost a year now."

Now it was Seamus's turn to scoff, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and crossing his arms over his chest as if that would protect him. "Surprise Harry, I'm a huge screw up."

Shaking his head at once, Harry took a few small steps towards him. "No you aren't. I know you think that, but you aren't." Sighing when his brother wouldn't meet his eyes, Harry continued, "Look, I'm not Hermione, okay? I'm not gonna yell at you. I'm not gonna judge you or poke fun at you in front of the whole family plus others during an interview. I'll just.. I'll help you find the drugs and then we'll throw them out. Okay?"

Turning to meet Harry's eyes for the first time, Harry saw reluctance and slight worry before that all melted away and Seamus's eyes shown with relief. Leaning forward Seamus wrapped his arms around Harry and Harry did the same, allowing Seamus to lean some of his weight on him as they hugged. 

"Thank you." Seamus whispered, hugging Harry tightly. Harry patted his back.

"No problem." Leaning back Harry smiled up at him. "Right. Let's do this then, shall we?"

Seamus nodded. "Sure. Just one small issue... I actually have no idea where I put them."

Blinking once, twice, three times up at his brother Harry sighed.

This was gonna be a long night.  
\---------------------  
After much shuffling, moving, bending and digging, Harry and Seamus were still no closer to finding Seamus's stash than Seamus was back when Harry had first arrived, what felt like at least an hour and a half ago. Sighing softly to himself Harry wished he hadn't set his watch down on the bathroom sink before he'd attempted to go to bed that night. Or at the very least he wished he'd brought his phone with him. Knowing the current time right now sounded like a very good concept to Harry right about now.

From his current position, crouched down on the greenhouse's floor flipping through cardboard boxes shiver underneath the tallest shelves, Seamus said, "Y'know, maybe I was thinking of the tool shed that housed all the goods."

Standing to his full height and pulling his arms slowly up to cross over his chest, even though he knew Seamus couldn't see, Harry replied in a firm, knowing tone, "Seamus; if you think I'm gonna give up and go to bed so you can find your stash and use, you can dream on."

When he got nothing but silence from Seamus as a reply, Harry turned on his heel and took a big intake of breath as he walked over to the greenhouse shelved corner to the left that classical housed most of Albus's belongings. Old battered boxes and metal containers balanced and piled up shakily atop dusting silver metal shelves and Harry sighed at all the searching he was going to have in store for him here. His bed sounded really really nice right now. 

"I don't think I would've put it in with dad's old stuff." Seamus called from behind Harry and Harry shook his head, leaning up to grab decent sized cardboard movers box from atop a fairly high shelf, standing on his tip toes to reach it. Bringing the box down in his arms, Harry sighed. "Well, you never know." 

Groaning as he pried open the sealed cardboard box lid with only his left hand while the right hand was placed palm up on it's underside to support it, Harry hummed to himself as he shuffled around old glasses cases, a cazoo, a yo-yo, before he stopped humming as his eyes fell upon a sleek, smaller black cardboard shoe-like box he hadn't seen around before. 

"Huh..." Harry murmured softly to himself as he picked it up, sliding the shoe-box's lid off and open with much more ease than he had the cardboard mover's box only for his hand to freeze, his breath catching in the pit of his throat and his chest clenching as he saw what was in said shoe-box.

Beside a pile of old newspaper articles browning from age or use, Harry couldn't really tell, were a nice, shinning set of at least ten silver little handbells.

"Oh my god." Harry whispered lowly to himself. Seamus, turning around, must have seen Harry's shocked state because he took a few steps to come up to look behind Harry's shoulder.

"What? What is it?" Only for Seamus to stop talking as well as he took in the sight before him.

The silver handbell sight.

What. The. Fuck?  
\--------------------  
Seamus and Harry stood side by side, their shoulders touching, staring down silently at the box now resting on the greenhouse's slightly rusted rectangular table, looking harmless and still, looking like any average box. Except it wasn't. 

"This... This can't be what it looks like." Harry said, shaking his head insistently, even though he wasn't so sure of himself. Beside him, Seamus nodded tightly, firmly.

"No."

"No." Harry repeated, nodding. Seamus nodded once again.

"Yeah, of course not."

"Of course not." Harry repeated, eyebrow raising.

"No." Seamus said again, as if that would really drive the point home and dispel all their fears and doubts.

Pfft. Harry wished.

They both shared a look to themselves before, in unison, turning to bend their necks down to look back at the silver bells, still nestled safe and snug in their shoebox, untouched. Harry's eye twitched.

"So what's the explanation here?" Harry asked, desperately needing to hear other theories than the one that kept popping relentlessly into his mind. 

"Well, I mean, the box looks pretty old. It could have been here before we even moved in." Seamus answered fairly, tilting his head to the side as if that would reveal all the box's history and secrets to him.

"So... So, what? We bought the house from the Silver Bell's killer?" He asked incredulously, stomaching clenching uneasily at the thought. God, if the silver bells killer had actually lived in their house, touched some of their older furniture, walked these grounds... Harry was sure if they were now living in the same house the silver bell's killer had lived in he'd turn tail and bolt now, taking Cho along with him. God, what was Harry's life anymore?

"I should tell Cho." Harry said suddenly. Seamus shot him a questioning look before walking towards the greenhouse's table and beginning to lightly nudge at and shift through the box's contents. 

"She's on the case. She should be investigating the previous owner." Harry said in explanation. 

In front of him, as he rustled through the neatly folded pile of papers that had been in the box beside the handbells, Seamus tensed up. "Oh my god. Wait..." And, unfolding the piece of paper he'd had clenched in his hand separate from all the others now, Seamus sighed shakily. "This is our newspaper." Turning to fully face Harry with widened hazel eyes, Seamus held up the paper for Harry to look at. "Harry.. I drew this."

Staring long and hard at the piece of paper Harry felt his eyes warm in frustration and fear. Shaking his head side to side, Harry asked, "Why? Why would dad cut these out?" 

Why would dad maybe murder somebody was the question that was left unsaid, but they both seemed to hear it, it hung in the air between them, making the oxygen feel stiff and heavy and Harry had the sudden urge to crack a window. Or twenty. Or maybe just smash all the glass in the greenhouse to air it out. Yeah, that could work too.

Raising a slightly shaky hand, Seamus said evenly, "Hey, hey look. Look." Sighing heavily, Seamus nodded. "Listen, the Silver Bells case was pretty headquarter. I mean, it was all over the news, right? Police and reporters kept going on and on about it, and amature sluthes tried to crack the case, dad could've done that. He was into all that True Crime stuff."

Harry nodded along, despite the fact that as much as he wanted to believe it, there was something inside of them saying that he knew that wasn't right. It sounded false, like a sugar coated lie, to his own ears and he wondered if Seamus thought it sounded that way too but had said it anyway just to make him calm down. 

Taking a deep breath, Harry leaned his weight on his right foot, reaching his right hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he felt the startings of a promisingly awful headache forming. "Maybe that can explain the articles but, the bells?"

Sighing heavily, Seamus shook his head. "Look, we...we, we'll talk to mam tomorrow. Dad if he's up, too. But right now we are all going to need all the rest we can get so...let's just sleep on it. Okay?"

Looking over to meet his brother's eyes, Harry nodded, willing his heart to stop beating so fast like it had been. "Okay. Okay."

Taking a sniffling breath in through his nose, Seamus loudly exhaled through his mouth. "God, I could really use that fix right about now."

And, looking over at him, Harry found he couldn't blame or scold his brother for saying that. "Yeah, you and me both."  
\----------------------------  
Sighing to himself as he walked across the yard, away from the still glowing greenhouse and over to the stairs that led up to the front door of the house he had come through on his way down here, Harry shoved his hands into his pant's pockets and quicker the pace as he thought of the time. He wanted to cringe. He need rest and he needed it a few hours ago, to be quite honest. And he wanted to get a good nights sleep to prepare himself for tomorrow. Something told him he would need it.

Hopefully he'd be able to go to bed without much troubles. He could already feel anxiousness threatening to bubble over in the center of his stomach and at the back of his throat. He needed to know why there was a box full of silver hand bells, shinning as if they'd been polished just yesterday, in their family's greenhouse. If it wasn't anyone in the family's (and it couldn't be. This family may have it's problems, but possible serial killer suspects as relatives isn't one of them), then who's had it been and how had it gotten into the greenhouse's garden? And why hadn't the possible killer taken it with him when he'd left, when the murders had stopped. There had been no signs of DNA or evidence, no signs or even hopes of identifying the killer, countless policemen and reporters had said as much, so why hadn't the killer taken his box of proof with him? Why had he left it out for someone to find? For someone to find and possibly use to identify him with? It just didn't make any sense. None of it did.

And that was probably half do to the fact that he was exhausted and felt as if he could keel over on the ground and pass out at any minute. Above him there weren't many stars out in the sky. Harry hated when there weren't any stars out. It made the sky seem so plain and even darker and bigger and longer, a vast expanse of blank nothingness, never beginning or ending but simply just existing in a mass of emptiness and darkness, void of differentiation and light. It was eery. 

Turning to the right to veer off towards the direction of the house as he walked across the paved driveway, Harry comforted himself with the fact he was almost at the house. Then he'd been in the house, then in his bedroom, then in his bed and then hopefully in that great state of unconsciousness he craved now.

But, of course, before he could enter he heard a noise. A strange noise. It sounded like...something, feet maybe, shuffling around on pavement. Drawing his shoulders back, shoulder blades moving to press together instinctively, Harry slowly turned around, craning his neck to stare out behind him into the darkness that currently surrounded him. He couldn't see a thing, even with his glasses on, in this night time. Part of that was due to the fact his eyes were lidded as he was exhausted and the other part due to the fact that it was dark tonight, and, away from the greenhouse, Harry couldn't see much except dim outlines maybe.

And suddenly Harry wished he was back in the greenhouse, surrounded by shelves and bright bright light illuminating everything and everyone around it and possible weapons to use in the case of fight or flight. Harry's mind started racing of it's own accord, his heartbeat beginning to race with it.

What if. What if it was the Silver Bells Killer? What if he really was back on the large, back in Boston, back in town? What if he'd found out they had his box? What if there was something in said box that could help identify him? Finger prints on bells or pieces of paper or the box itself? What if he wanted to eliminate Harry and Seamus and anyone else who may know of the box to protect his identity so he could continue to go out and murder locals no muss no fuss? What if---

Out from a nearby thick green bush, an orange ball of fluff darted out suddenly as if spooked, letting out a loud, croaky meow as it's little feed padded and scuffled around on the driveway, darting last Harry and in the way he'd just came from, heading over near the lighthouse. Harry jumped before feeling his heart sink in his chest with relief, all the blood rushing out of his head and he could feel his heartbeat starting to slow as he heaved a great breath and shook his head.

"Stupid cat..." Harry muttered softly, still shaking his head as he turned back around again, hands still in his pockets, head bent down as his body flooded with relief and he began to walk back up the drive the rest of the way and over to the front door. Walking up the stairs and onto the porch, he opened the door, walking inside and pulling it closed shut behind him rather quickly. 

What he missed after this, however, was the muc her larger and entirely human shaded shape that stepped out slowly form behind it's hiding space behind a tree nearby the bush the cat had scampered out of. Zipping up it's jacket, the shaded form turned around and began walking down the drive and away from the Potter mansion, a small smile playing on it's lips.


	5. Just Not Their Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late delay with this chapter but it's up now! Please leave a rate and a comment, they genuinely make me smile, sit back, and enjoy the ride :)

Early the next morning at the Potter Mansion, after a particularly long shower and bathroom routine, Seamus made his way slowly down the stairs and over to the kitchen, his footsteps wavering and slowing slightly as he saw his nine year old little son, Jack, already wide awake, sitting in a tall metal stool next to the kitchen's long counter surface, hunched over it and what appeared to be a little sketch pad, a pencil in his hand and a pen laying out on the counter in front of him. He seemed to be drawing something. Seamus smiled slightly and resumed his normal walking pace again as he entered the kitchen, now looking much more awake and happier. 

"Morning there, bud." Seamus called out to his son as he walked over behind the opposite side of the kitchen's counter, passing big wooden cupboards and drawers to make his way over to the tall, metallic, rusted silver colored coffee maker that was already making noise. Someone must have left it on earlier. And there was still some left, thankfully.

Never once looking up from his sketch pad, Jack said, "Morning. Can I show you my drawings?"

Seamus nodded, grabbing the pot a little under half-way full of dark coffee and pouring it into a nearby black coffee mug. "Yeah, sure thing."

Making his way over to stand beside Jack on his side of the kitchen counter, Seamus stifled a yawn and craned his head to the side to look down at his son's little sketchbook. "Whatcha got?"

Seeming to brighten up a bit, his navy blue eyes glittering, Jack responded, "This is someone with a heart attach. Like..." Jack hesitated, seemingly stuck on what to say next before his eyes sparkled even more and he continued more quickly, "...like Grandpa if he died."

And, sketched onto the small very white little piece of paper inside his son's sketchbook was, indeed, an old looking man who looked very much dead. His right hand was placed on the left side of his chest, over where his heart would have been. His eyes were closed and he would have almost looked peaceful if not for the remaining, seemingly pained, grimacing frown that lingered upon his lips. Sitting down next to his son and still starring down at his kid's art work, Seamus pursed his lips. "Wow. That's really....detailed." And it really was. Almost too detailed for a child of Jack's age. It was even shaded here and there for crying out loud. Seamus reached over slowly and pat his son's back. "Good job." 

Jack leaned back in his seat, seeming disappointed for a moment, before perking up again and turning to his sketchbook, reaching out a small, pale hand to flip the page, obscuring the dead old man from Seamus's view at long last only for it to be replaced by an even odder, even more disturbing sketching. It was of a rotting skeleton, bones protruding all over with hardly an ounce of flesh left on them, it's clothes bagging off of it messily, it's head twisted at an unnatural and uncomfortable angle to the side and upwards slightly, a little bit of something wrapped around it's neck. It appeared to be sitting in a chair.

Lightly tapping the newly turned par with his thumb, Jack went on, "This one got strangled. Like what Silver Bells does."

Nearly choking on the sip of lukewarm left over coffee Seamus had mistakenly just taken, he cleared his throat loudly, setting his mug back down audibly and turning to face and look down on his son who was looking up at him casually as if he'd just been talking about teletubbies or the weather. "How do you know about that?"

Shrugging, Jack answered, "I narrowed Grandpa's iPad." When Seamus simply continued to stare at him, Jack turned back to his sketch pad, flipping through it idly, the pages softly rustling against each other with ever flip, shuffle, and turn. He spoke again. "It's really interesting, because the ligature marks indicate that the victim--"

Seamus interrupted him quickly, "Okay, well, what if you drew a picture of a man who could grow wings and fly? Huh, would that be cool?" Smiling hopefully at his son, Jack merely blinked, not smiling back.

"People can't fly. That's not real." Jack stated simply and slowly as if Seamus was the child here. Pressing his lips together, Seamus continued, "Well, yeah, but Roger's not real either, yet he's still fun to draw."

Shrugging, Jack turned back to his sketchbook, flipping ahead a few pages before coming to stop on another drawing and perking up again. "Oh! This one got disembowled. That's where all the guys come out." Jack then helpfully pointed a finger down over to where Seamus could already see perfectly clearly.

Seamus exhaled slowly from his nose.

It was looking to be a long day already.  
\--------------------------  
Outside of Potter manor, a long, sleek black truck cruised down the road and turned right, slowing to a stop before parking right outside on the curb nearest to Potter mansion, it's breaks squealing slightly as it came to a complete stop. The engine turned off.  
\---------------------  
Harry Potter was awake in his bedroom, sitting down on top of the comforter on his already made and well empty bed. Chi had gotten up and headed off to work already ages ago, leaving Harry all alone in their bedroom, which was honestly fine with him at the moment. Because if she saw what he was looking at right now, and rather what his browser's history has looked like ever since late last night when he couldn't sleep without thinking about what he and Seamus had discovered in the greenhouse, well, let's just say she'd probably want to bring him down to the police station for questioning.

Yeah, instead of my father... Came Harry's rather bitter reply in his mind and he suppressed a sigh through his nose, pursing his lips as his green eyes scanned the whitely illuminated compute screen before him. He was currently looking up silver handbells sold online. 

He jumped ever so slightly as he was brought out of his train of thought by the doorbell ringing noisily. Sighing softly, Harry fought the urge to shake his head at how jumpy he'd been since last night's cat-in-bush incident, and slowly and eagerly brought his laptop's lid down to close it, obscuring the page and the only source of light he'd had in his room at the moment.  
\-----------  
"Have you seen Caramel?" Came the rather rushed, rather distressed sounding voice that had sounded immediately once Harry had opened the mansion's front door. Before him stood a very distressed looking old woman dressed in what looked like a lift lavender moo-moo and shawl.

Harry blinked slowly at her. "What?"

Sighing as if greatly put upon, as if Harry had been the one to randomly ring her house's doorbell and start asking her confusing questions, she said, "My cat, Caramel, he's missing. Have you seen him?"

When Harry merely continued to blink slowly at her, still processing all this, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, the lady continued "He's...the color of Caramel."

Oh god. Had that... Could that have been the cat in the bushes from last night?

Harry pursed his lips and tried his best not to look too guilty. "Oh, uh, no. No, sorry. Uh, I'll keep an eye out for him though, okay?" Harry offered her an apologetic smile he was sure came out more as a forced kind of grimace and the lady didn't even reply, merely looked down, seeming very upset, before turning around and making her way down the mandion's front steps and down the driveway. Harry tried not to feel too guilty as he watched her walk away. 

But all thoughts of caramel colored cats in possible bushes were erased when Harry looked over to his right and noticed a tall man standing in the driveway, just...lingering about like he was waiting for something.

"Um... Can I help you?" Harry called out in a slightly louder voice so the man could hear him from across the drive.

He could swear he heard a smile in the man's voice as he spoke. "Hey there, pup."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, lips parted into an o to speak before it hit him and his eyes widened comically. "Oh my god... Sirius??" But before Sirius even got the opportunity to answer Harry was already running out of the house, down the stairs, halfway across the drive and into Sirius's arms, hugging him tightly. Sirius chuckled lowly and wrapped his arms around him in return, resting his chin on Harry's shoulder.

"How're you doing, Har?" 

Pulling away to get a better look at Sirius, Harry was pleased to see he looked well fed and bathed, his slightly stubbly chin well kept and his hair as dark and fabulous as ever. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Good. How are you?"

Harry sighed, rubbing his left forearm with his right hand restlessly as the morning wind blew around them audibly. "I'm... You know." Sirius nodded grimly. Harry looked him over before speaking again;

"So you got my message."

Sirius nodded again. "Yeah. How is he?"

"Holding up. And a bit scary. I am so, so glad you came." 

Behind them, the mansion's front door opened and closed again and soft footsteps approached them, followed by Seamus's signature still slightly groggy morning voice lightly exclaiming "Ho-ly crap." As he came to stand beside Harry, starring across at Sirius.

Sirius smiled softly. "How ya doin', Seam?"

When Seamus just continued to stare at Sirius, blinking slowly and then rapidly a few times, as if he was afraid Sirius was a dream or hallucination of some sort, Harry spoke up again, clearing his throat shakily. "Well, um, we were just about to go to the hospital to see dad."

Sirius nodded slowly. "Okay. Well, I'll give you a ride." And before either of them could protest or agree, he was walking away from them and over to where his sleek black truck lay parked and unmoving out beside the curb, glinting in the morning's gray-ish white sunlight.

Turning to exchange looks with each other, as Seamus raised his eyebrows, Harry shrugged.

"Let's just go with it." Harry whispered to his brother.

Today was gonna be one of those days then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's super short I know and I'm sorry the next one will be longer I promise you: but I hope you enjoyed regardless :')

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaand there it is, voila! Comments and rates are much appreciated. Let me know if you would be interested in my continuing this particular piece. See ya :)


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